Oxygen generating candle and method of making it



Sept- 25, 1956 R. M. BOVARD ET Al.

OXYGEN GENERATING CANDLE AND METHOD OF' MAKING 1T Filed Sept. 18, 1953 llllllllll il!!! 1N VEN TOR.

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12 Claims. (Cl. 23-281) This invention relates to candles that generate oxygen as they are burned, and more particularly to those suitable for use in oxygen producing apparatus such as shown in our copending patent application, Serial Number 361,- 336, tiled June 12, 1953.

When an oxygen generating candle burns in such apparatus, it must produce oxygen in a volume great enough to sustain lite before the chemical in the apparatus is functioning well enough to do it alone. If the candle burns at a substantially uniform rate, there will be a surplus and waste of oxygen from the candle as the chemical in the apparatus begins to release oxygen at an increasing rate.

lt is among the objects of this invention to provide a candle that generates oxygen at a predetermined maximum rate for a certain length of time and then generates it at a diminished rate so that oxygen will not be wasted and so that the candle will burn longer. Another object is to provide .an easy method of making such a candle.

in accordance with this invention, a body of oxygen producing material has a starting core of ignition material in its central portion for igniting the body material around the core. Embedded in the body material is a baffle strip which stands on edge and extends from top to bottom of the body and across one side of the core to form a narrow path of burning between the side of the bathe and the nearest side of the body. Preferably, the bale extends inward from the side wall of the body and part way around the core. When the burning area of the material enters the space between the inner end of the baflle and the adjacent side wall of the body, the width of the burning area will be reduced materially and production of oxygen will be diminished accordingly. In making this candle, the core is placed in the center of a cup and the baille also is inserted in the cup. The side wall of the cup is higher than the baffle and the cup is lled with compressible oxygen producing material. Then a plunger is moved down into the cup until it is stopped by engagement with the top of the bale. This compresses the oxygen producing material around the starting core and against the sides of the baiile and cup.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is a plan view of the candle with most of it broken away to show the top of the baille and the oxygen producing material;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the candle taken on the line Il-II of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a reduced horizontal section through the cup at the top of the baille, showing the oxygen producing material partly burned away.

Referring to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings a cup 1, which preferably is cylindrical, is seated on the base 2 of a canister such as shown in our copending patent application mentioned above. The bottom ofthe cup is provided in its center with an opening registering with a similar opening in the base of the canister. A anged sleeve 3 extends up through these openings and has a threaded nited States Patent Patented Sept. 25, 1956 lCe upper end pn which a nut 4 is screwed to clamp the cup and canister base tightly together. A primer 6 is mounted in the lower end of the sleeve, while a charge 7 of flash powder is pressed into the upper end of the sleeve. Resting on the bottom of the cup is an ignition core S that has a recess 9 in its bottom so that it can tit over nut 4, by which the core is centered in the cup. The core preferably is tapered upward and may be made dome shape with a small flat top. Filling the cup around the core but extending only a very short distance above it is a body 10 of oxygen producing material, which is a wellknown composition that gives off oxygen while it is burning. In the past, oxygen candles have generated oxygen at approximately the same rate from the time they were ignited until completely consumed. That resulted not only in fairly rapid consumption of the candles, but also in waste of oxygen and discomfort to the user due to the excessive operating pressures, because a candle only needs to supplement the oxygen generated by the chemical. Therefore, as the generation of oxygen by the candle increases, less supplemental oxygen is required from the candle.

To obtain greater efficiency than heretofore, we use a candle so formed that the width of the burning area is reduced after an initial period of burning, so that oxygen will be produced at a slower rate. This also conserves the oxygen by not producing it faster than it is needed, and spreads its production out over a longer period of time. Accordingly, a baffle strip 12 of metal or other incombustible or extremely slow burning material is embedded in the body of the candle. As shown in Fig. 2, the bafe stands on edge and extends from the bottom of the cup up tothe top of the candle body. It also is slightly higher than the ignition core for a purpose that will be described presently. The bale also extends along the side of the core and generally outward to the side Wall of the cup. It is preferred that a portion of the bale be substantially straight and that it extend from the side of the cup inward across one side of the core and then part way around the core. The arcuate portion of the baille should be concentric with the core, and most suitably it extends about around it.

When the primer is struck from below by a firing pin (not shown) the iiash powder 7 will be ignited, which in turn will ignite the ignition core 8. The core will burn from top to bottom almost immediately and will ignite the body l0 all around it to produce oxygen at a maximum rate. After the body between the core and baffle has burned away the rate of oxygen evolution will decrease somewhat as burning proceeds toward the side of the cup. Then, when the iire starts along the narrow arcuate path between the baille and the nearest side of the cup, the width of the area being consumed will be reduced materially so that oxygen will be produced at a considerably diminished rate. Because of this diminished rate of evolution, the candle burns longer than if it burned at its initial high rate from start to finish, and therefore it assures a supply of oxygen over a longer period of time. Oxygen is not wasted, and the pressure does not build up to the point where it causes discomfort to the user. Any desired evolution rate can be obtained by shaping the battle accordingly, but the shape shown has been found to be best for most situations.

Inside the upper part of the cup there are means for filtering out smoke that may be produced by the burning candle. This may consist of a dimpled metal plate 14 supported on top of the candle body, a screen 15 on top of the plate, a layer or two of filtering material 16, another screen 17 and a ring 18 pressed down onto the latter by indentations i9 in the top of the cup around it. The plate also insulates the filtering material from the red hot candle surface.

A quick and easy way of making this candle is to place the core 8 in position in the cup with the baille 12 around it. The height of the baille is only about twothirds that of the cup. The baille is located correctly in the cup by an integral extension 21 of the strip which extends from the outer end of the baille around most of the inner surface of the cups side wall, between it and the side of the candle body. Powdered oxygen producing material then is poured into the cup to lill it, after which a plunger (not shown) is moved downward into the cup to compress that material. Downward movement of the plunger is stopped by its engagement with the top of the baille before the plunger can strike the top of the ignition core and crush it. Therefore, there is a thin layer of oxygen producing material above the core, and the candle bodies always are compressed the same amount and have the same thickness. Of course, the body is pressed tightly against the sides of the baille, extension 21 and a short section of the side wall of the cup.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle oi our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. An oxygen generating candle comprising a body of oxygen producing material having top and bottom faces and a side wall, a starting core of ignition material in the central portion of said body adapted to ignite the body material around the core, and a baille strip embedded on edge in said body material and extending from its top face to its bottom face and across one side of said core to form a narrow path of burning between the side of the baille and the nearest side of said body.

2. An oxygen generating candle comprising a body of oxygen producing material having top and bottom faces and a side wall, a starting core of ignition material in the central portion of said body adapted to ignite the body material around the core, and a baille strip embedded on edge in said body material and extending from its top face to its bottom face and from said side wall inward across one side of said core to form a narrow path of burning between the side of the baille and the nearest side of said body.

3. An oxygen generating candle comprising a body of oxygen producing material having top and bottom faces and a side wall, a starting core of ignition material in the central portion oi said body adapted to ignite the body material around the core, and a baille strip embedded on edge in said body material and extending from its top face to its bottom face and from said side wall inward toward said core and then part way around it in spaced relation therewith, whereby to reduce the width of the burning area of the body when it enters the space between the inner end of the baille and the adjacent side wall of said body so that oxygen will be produced at a diminished rate.

4. A candle in accordance with claim 3, in which the inwardly extending portion of the baille is substantially straight and the rest of thebaille is arcuate and substantially concentric with the core.

5. A candle in accordance with claim 3, in which the inwardly extending portion of the baille is substantially 4 straight and the rest of the baille is arcuate and substantially concentric with the core and extends approximately around it.

6. A candle in accordance with claim 1, including a cup containing said body, said baille projecting a short distance above the top of said core.

7. An oxygen generating candle comprising a cup, an igniting device at the bottom of the cup and projecting above its center, a starting core of ignition material having a recess in its bottom receiving the upper part of said igniting device, a body of oxygen producing material disposed in the cup around the core and having top and bottom faces and a side wall, and a baille strip embedded on edge in said body material and extending from its top face to its bottom face and across the side of said core to form a narrow path of burning between the side of the baille and the nearest side of said body.

8. An oxygen generating candle comprising a body of oxygen producing material having top and bottom faces and a circular side wall, a starting core of ignition material at the center oi said body adapted to ignite the body material around the core, and a baille strip embedded on edge in said body material and extending from its top face to its bottom face and from said side wall inward toward said core and then part way around it in spaced relation therewith to conilne the burning of the body to a predetermined path, whereby to reduce the width of the burning area of the body when it enters the space between the inner end of the baille and the adjacent side wall of said body, so that oxygen will be produced at a diminished rate.

9. A candle in accordance with claim S, in which a circular cup receives said body, and the baiile has an arcuate retaining portion integral with its outer end and partially encircling the side wall of the body against the inside of the cup. 1

10. A candle in accordance with claim 8, in which a circular cup yreceives said body, and the baille projects a short distance above the top of said core.

11. The method oi making a controlled burning oxygen generating candle, comprising placing a path-deilning baille strip on edge in a cup that has a side wall higher than Vthe baille, placing in the central portion of the cup a starting core of ignition material, filling the cup -with compressible oxygen producing material, and then pressing said last-mentioned material down to the top of the baille to form a compressed body around the starting core and against the sides of the baille and cup.

12. The method of making a controlled burning oxygen generating candle, comprising centering a starting core of ignition material in a circular cup, placing on edge in the cup a path-defining baille strip that extends part way around the core and only part way up the cup, illling the cup with compressible oxygen producing material, and then pressing said last-mentioned material `down to the top of the baille to form a compressed body around the starting core and against the sides of the baille and cup.

A References Cited in the ille of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 802,256 Bamberger et al, Oct. 17, 1905 k2,004,243 YI- Iloch June 11, 1935 2,558,756 Jackson et al. July 3, 1951 

1. AN OXYGEN GENERATING CANDLE COMPRISING A BODY OF OXYGEN PRODUCING MATERIAL HAVING TOP AND BOTTOM FACES AND A SIDE WALL, A STARTING CORE OF IGNITION MATERIAL IN THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID BODY ADAPTED TO IGNITE THE BODY MATERIAL AROUND THE CORE, AND A BAFFLE STRIP EMBEDDED ON EDGE IN SAID BODY MATERIAL AND EXTENDING FROM ITS TOP FACE TO ITS BOTTOM FACE AND ACROSS ONE SIDE OF SAID CORE TO FORM A NARROW PATH OF BURNING BETWEEN THE SIDE OF THE BAFFLE AND THE NEAREST SIDE OF SAID BODY. 